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Boeuf à la Mode

4 servings

Ingredients

• 2.5 kg Beef from the clod or tail piece
• Salt (a little)
• Pepper (a little)
• Allspice (a little)
• 125 g Butter or good fat
• Flour for dredging (a little)
• Water, boiling (as needed)
• 1 cup Pickled cucumbers, diced
• 1 tbsp Vinegar
• 3 pcs Bay leaves

Instructions

1. Take a larger piece of meat, about 2 to 3 kg, preferably from the clod or tail piece (rump) of a young ox.
2. Pound the meat well and rub with salt, pepper, and allspice.
3. Then, add about 125 g of butter or good fat, or a 50/50 mix, to the pot.
4. Once the fat has turned yellow, place the floured meat into the pot and sear it, turning occasionally without piercing it with a fork, until beautifully browned on all sides.
5. Afterward, pour in enough boiling water to cover the meat generously by half.
6. Cover the pot tightly, and let the meat simmer slowly over a moderate heat; after 1½ hours, turn the meat and add 1 cup of diced pickled cucumbers with 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 3 bay leaves.
7. Then, cover again and continue to simmer until the meat is tender, which will take about 2 to 2½ hours in total.
8. When serving, remove most of the fat from the sauce; if it is too thick, stir in a little water, if too thin, a little potato starch.
9. Serve with vegetables, but potatoes are best.
10. Instead of cucumbers, you can also cook carrots and onions with the meat.

Modernized from a treasured 19th-century German cookbook.